Why Microsoft Should Have Tried To Get Exclusive Rights To Titanfall 2!

Even since before the game’s launch people were questioning whether Titanfall would remain a Microsoft exclusive title. As it turns out, we were right to question it. You’re in luck, Playstation owners, as a sequel to the parkouring, wall-running, mech-smashing FPS is on-route to your console soon! Respawn’s CEO Vince Zampella told IGN in an interview ahead of the BAFTA game awards “it’ll be multi platform”. He also spoke about other areas the studio are headed saying they were “starting up a second team and doing some smaller stuff too”. Respawn’s COO Dusty Welch explained that the original game was Microsoft exclusive for business reasons and that it would have been “prohibitive” as a multi platform release.

But that begs the question, why didn’t Microsoft renew their exclusivity contract with Respawn and EA? I, personally, think that EA and Respawn may have become wise to the fact that being a multi-platform game is the only way to gain mass appeal like, for example, a Call of Duty or a Battlefield and having people with the majority console support the game seems to be a smart business move to me. That being said, if it was Microsoft’s decision, I think this was an enormous mistake for a number of reasons. I also think that this could damage the Xbox’s reputation and sales numbers if it is a big hit on the Playstation.

The original Titanfall, which launched in a dull period for gaming, was a pretty big success and lead the Xbox to win the Spring/Summer of 2014. It was a solid exclusive which drummed up a lot of hype for the Xbox and as it launched, gained a pretty substantial following, being one of the sole reasons people went and bought an Xbox for Christmas 2013. It was a nice exclusive with a fresh look at the FPS genre adding wall-running elements, experimenting with AI team-mates and enemies and mech combat, all in an easy to pick up game.

Another reason I feel like, if the decision was in Microsoft’s hands, they should have renewed the exclusivity contract is that since the original game launched, the Xbox one is gaining more traction and is making its way into more homes. There are a lot more people who have bought an Xbox one since then which would have made it a more attractive place to play, and would have given both Microsoft and Respawn/EA a significant reason to stick to the Xbox One/360 and PC. It would be mutually beneficial to both parties, as selling more Xbox Ones, means a bigger player base for the game, which in turn would have lead to increased Xbox one sales as Titanfall 2 would have become a more popular gaming buzzword.

The Xbox One’s sales have more than doubled since the release of Titanfall meaning an exclusive sequel would have had a much bigger install base and reaching a broader audience is an attractive pitch to the guys at Respawn. A bonus of this happening after the sequel is that a lot of the people would come into this game not knowing the problems the original game faced. This leads to more sales from high review scores, which turns the game into a console seller, spawning the Titanfall franchise!

Not even to mention the fact that since Titanfall’s launch, people have been very vocal about what they liked, and more importantly, what they disliked meaning the developers have a solid list of issues and queries that can be addressed to make their sequel an absolute blow-out! A lot of common queries revolved around the lack of story and lack of feeling for the factions. I personally can’t name the warring factions from Titanfall or even what they were fighting over really. A lot more back story is necessary for a game to build a dedicated fanbase and the lore to this game and the struggles the factions face could have been so rich, but there was so much squandered potential. Other issues included a lack of character customisation and a less than impressive arsenal of weapons, all of which I’m sure will be addressed in the sequel.

Overall, Titanfall has been one of the biggest console exclusives of this generation with a keen and active development team behind it. Titanfall 2 could blow the roof off of their predecessors sales and really make Microsoft regret their decision to not keep Respawn/EA’s franchise firmly under the belt of the Xbox and PC. Only time will tell how big of a mistake, if at all, this will be. But you can be sure that we will be watching very closely here at This Gen Gaming in anticipation of any news we can bring to you on Respawn’s next endeavour.

Do you think Microsoft should have retained exclusivity of Titanfall? Leave us a comment down below!

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I’m sure that they tried to make it a console exclusive to xb1 and analysts have said the same. But it is getting more and more difficult for MS to get those deals. The difference between PS4 and xb1 is right now 8-10 million and it will be 20-30 million in 2 years when Titanfall 2 comes out.

KeplerNoMore

While this may be true, we have yet to witness the Halo or Gears of War movement for the Xbox, when those game will hit, it will close the gap by 2-3 million units since Sony no longer has uncharted 4 on 2015 release and most of its exclusives are catering for only some segments of the casual market, not the main ones. By december 2015 we may witness a surge in xbox sales due to the main titles and also DX12 for xbox.

GotNews4Ya

It won’t even beat the PS4 in Worldwide sales when those games launch, Mark My Words.. and Gears of War?? You will be lucky to see it launch until 2017.. It is way early in development, It didn’t even have a teaser trailer, that’s how early it is in development. They basically just let you know it was being made as soon as the contract was finished.. like seriously.. I am not making this up.. They started working on the new gears in like April of 2014, They announced it at E3 on June 2nd or whatever it was.. (11th? Somewhere around then..)

Anders

I shouldn’t have mentioned the gap between the consoles because that is actually partially irrelevant.
I should have mentioned the potential 60-80 million PS4 install base in two years, because that is what they up against. They have to compensate EA (and other publishers) for anything could have earned on that other console.

andy

Because THAT is what people will be buying an Xbone for. They will be walking into retail stores worldwide asking “excuse me, this is the game that uses Directx 12 isn’t it but still runs at barely 900p 30fps? Sweet I’LL TAKE 5 OF THEM PLEASE!!!!”
But seriously, there will be an on surge of Directx 12 game engine capable games releasing on Xbone in Dec 2015 that will change consoles sales forever? Who are you? How do you know this?

And even if there were 15 Xbone, Directx 12 advantage taking games releasing in Dec 2015, are they going to blow away games graphically like Killzone Shadowfall or Infamous Second Son (and of course I mean running at full 1080p and over 30fps too and were also launch window titles on PS4). Since we are talking about DX12, lets not comment on gameplay since its all about graphics to you.

KeplerNoMore

Graphics sells, its not about me, its about the buyers. Most people will buy a game because it looks good first, plays good second.

You Are Flat Out Wrong

900P 30FPS?

Don’t you mean the POS4, loser?

Megan Meadowcroft

Fanboys

ineedgames

I rather MS have them make a new IP, Respawn is an Indie studio and they have a good relationship with them because of Titanfall.

Doesn’t matter if Microsoft should have gotten it or not, ever notice how there were never any news report of positive sales for that game? it’s going to sell at least 3-4 times as much considering the install base of both consoles by the time this comes out, so it would’ve been extremely hard for them to get that!

DarthDiggler

MS may not have had the option this time.

Skydrian

First of all. It sold 4 millions of physical copies only on Xbox One (+
millions of X360 and PC versions combined) and that’s a huge success for
a new IP I would say. Then, this time the “install base argument” is not going to do
much, considering that Titanfall sequel won’t be a “fresh, new IP” for
potentional customers and PS4 just replaces X360. It will be the same game all over again and this time, people
won’t be hyped, people won’t step twice into same “river”. Titanfall
lost many gamers after a month or two from launch and I highly doubt
that these people will buy Titanfall 2, because the main formula is
obviously not going to bring any evolution to the FPS genre. Don’t forget that it is an EA game… Will PS platform improve sales? Maybe, but will it be at least 3-4 times as much? No, that’s impossible IMHO.

Living

“The original Titanfall, which launched in a dull period for gaming,
was a pretty big success and lead the Xbox to win the Spring/Summer of
2014.”

Bruv are you kitten me?

Anyways you talk a lot about how MS should not have let it go if it was in their hands but I think we can all be fairly sure this was not in their hands. It has been in EAs hands since the beginning.

Frizzkills

“Xbox won spring/summer 2013” ?!?!? Ha ha
Seriously…. how can you even say that with Microsofts dick so far down your throat?